Sefani
The Sefani (Latin: Homo sefanus) are a near-human species native to the world of Seoth'sefanï. Their descent is unclear and unexplained, and their near-human status baffles xenobiologists of all shapes and sizes with knowledge of both species. History Descent Though their heritage is rather unclear, their near-human status has raised a significant number of eyebrows regarding the origin of the Sefani species. Seoth'sefanï bears no living relatives of the Sefani species, nor any traces of descent whatsoever. This has given the Sefani a rather enigmatic status among xenobiologists, as they marvel at the similarities between humans and the sharp-eared species from Seoth'sefanï. Traditional Sefani superstition holds that the Sefani are descended not from any living being, but instead from falling stars which marked the locations that would one day form their urban metropolises. Evolutionary Adaptations Sefani evolution can be characterized by a process of extreme refinement, as the relative safety of their homeworld meant that their civilizations flourished without any grand degree of difficulty. It is believed that, over the course of their evolutionary life, the Sefani developed to be more physically appealing toward one another rather than developing traits that would be beneficial in terms of defense. Sefani Pre-History Approximately 20,000 BP, the Sefani developed what is known as 'behavioral modernity', including such features as language, music and cultural universals. The lack of threats upon the peaceful world the Sefani call home meant that they were able to establish agrarian, settled societies rather early on in their development. It is estimated that the first agrarian Sefani societies began to form approximately 10,000 BP. Transition to Civilization Agriculture on a grand, secure scale ensured that the Sefani species could devote vast resources to expanding their intellectual pursuits rather than focusing upon defending themselves from the outside world. As such, Sefani city-states often formed in locations where scientific 'anomalies' could be observed - especially the cosmos. Master astronomers from an early age, the Sefani were. Rapid technological advancements ensued from the iron-age civilization that soon sprung up, and the advent of gunpowder and steam led to an industrial revolution - thus propelling the Sefani into a Tier 6 civilization. Industrial Revolution With the advent of gunpowder and steam amongst the Sefani approximately 5,000BP, industrialism began to skyrocket. Unfortunately, however, this vastly upset the balance of power that kept their planet peaceful and (relatively) without bloodshed for five thousand years of their development. Rich, highly populated city-states devoted much of their resources at one point to the means of expanding their dominions. An inevitable arms race broke out between the most powerful city-states and nations, which erupted violently in a World War approximately 4,500BP. This war proceeded in the same fashion for upward of five hundred years, prompting an even greater rate of technological advancement. Tier 5 The Sefani as a species reached Tier 5 status with the development of laser-based weaponry, artificial satellites, and atomic power -- all toward the climax of the brutal World War that looked, very soon, to be the end of the species altogether. However, a hope arose in one particular city-state: Del'rathan. As many ideologies had been forming and 'proselytizing' across the world, Del'rathan sought something unique. They sought, through martial means or otherwise, to unite the Sefani species under a one-world government of a vaguely monarchic, racial-pride based nature. When the war was concluded 3,000 years BP, the Del'rathan Empire had effectively conquered 75% of the world's land area. The remaining 25% united in a coalition bent on upholding their own national independence from the nascent global-empire. Unity 2,930 years BP, the Del'rathan Empire launched an invasion of the coalition lands standing against them, one of a multi-pronged nature. The bloody war was brought to a swift, decisive end only five years after commencing, when the Del'rathan Empire performed a large-scale orbital bombardment of the primary military capital of the Coalition. Only days after this orbital bombardment, a treaty of surrender was signed, and the Del'rathan Empire had effectively estabished a hegemony over Seoth'sefanï Post-War Era Directly following the two nearly cataclysmic wars was, oddly enough, an economic miracle of sorts. The somewhat collectivist government focused upon enhancing the Sefani homeworld and repairing the wounds of the past wars. Two thousand years of peace and development were enjoyed by the newly-united Sefani species, during which they rapidly slingshotted through Tier 4, effectively beginning their colonization of the cosmos beyond - which were, of course, recognized by the Sefani as their very birthright. Rise of the Sefani Empire The Sefani reached Tier 3 as a civilization upon the discovery of the Hyperlane Network 800 years BP. It only took two years after this discovery for the full intellectual might of the Sefani to develop drives capable of accessing these hyperspace routes. With this development in place, the Del'rathan Empire disbanded and rose a new flag above their former holdings. One of their truly united species, the newly-established Sefani Empire. Directly following the development of FTL drives, the Sefani began to focus upon building bigger and more efficient ships, leading to a sort of one-way naval arms race against themselves. Colonialism The Sefani, under House Del'rathir's guidance, have long since focused their planet's vast resources on claiming the many stars of the galaxy that are within their reach. A number of government sponsored initiatives led to a colonial boom (as well as a baby boom), the Sefani Empire rapidly expanding beyond its initial home system. During this period of time, up until the present day, the Sefani have made massive strides in many of the sciences - with a particular focus upon biology and computing. Present Day The Sefani Empire has changed in the eight hundred years since their foundation, in a significant number of ways. The once-socially authoritarian government has liberalized in many regards, vast amounts of laws being repealed and reformed so that the 'master race' (i.e. the Sefani) might enjoy all the pleasures of the galaxy at large. This has developed a sort of lustful hedonism in the fair people, one that is only distracted from by means of focusing efforts on further colonialism and military development. The government itself, however, remains closed to the public by and large. In this regard, the monarchic power structure is vastly authoritarian, and any dissent against the Empire or the Del'rathir dynasty is met with extreme prejudice. Appearance Generally, the Sefani stand at a height of 6'0" for females and 6'2" for males. This gives way to a form that one might describe as lithe and graceful, as their average weight places them at the lower end of the BMI spectrum. They are strikingly human in appearance, with hands bearing four fingers and a thumb and feet with five toes. Their eyes, too, are distinctly humanoid in nature, though with a slight narrowness to them via which a close observer could tell a Sefani apart from a human. Their ears, as well, stand out as different by way of their pointed nature, slightly elongated from those of the human as well. In terms of complexion, the average Sefani is fair-skinned or even pale, largely dependent upon lifestyle. The Sefani lack melanin through which tanning is made possible, and so they tend to get sunburns more frequently. Another feature oft noted of the Sefani is their exceedingly superficially attractive appearance. As a result of the evolutionary path the species took, their development largely resulted in more physically-attractive specimens, thus leading to further reproduction and a vast increase in the species' population. Their bodies are hairless and lithe in form, lending a certain androgyny to the species that often confuses non-Sefani who are unfamiliar with the delicate intricacies of such a thing. The facial features of a Sefani shed little light in many cases, as their general facial structure is symmetrical and feminine in nature with only a few exceptions. Along with this striking appearance carried by most Sefani, they carry about them a vast selection of natural eye and hair colours, as well. The most common Sefani eye colour, however, is blue - the most common hair colour, a dirty-blonde shade. Biology Cultures Homeworld Affiliations